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A scholarship, a visionary king and a chapter of history many forgot.
News18
Long before “social reform” became a political slogan, one Indian ruler was already putting it into action. He funded B.R Ambedkar’s education, opened schools for girls, fought caste discrimination and introduced free, compulsory education decades before independent India did. His name was Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III.
A king who funded B.R. Ambedkar’s education, made schooling compulsory and pushed social reforms long before Independence—yet his name rarely features in conversations about India’s greatest rulers.
Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III wasn’t known for winning wars or expanding territories. Instead, he built schools, opened opportunities and transformed lives.
Born as Gopalrao in 1863, he was adopted into Baroda’s royal family as a child and unexpectedly found himself on the path to the throne. Few could have predicted that the young boy would go on to become one of the most progressive rulers India had ever seen.
But perhaps his most far-reaching decision was supporting a young Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar.
One decision by Sayajirao Gaekwad would go on to leave a mark on Indian history. One of the students Sayajirao chose to support was a young B.R Ambedkar. The scholarship took him to universities in the United States and Britain. Years later, Ambedkar would return to help draft India’s Constitution and become one of the most influential figures in the country’s history.
Years later, that student would become Dr B.R Ambedkar, the architect of India’s Constitution.
Ambedkar was just one part of a much bigger story. At a time when many princely rulers were building grand palaces, Sayajirao was opening schools and libraries. Children who had never seen the inside of a classroom were getting an education, and books were reaching towns and villages across Baroda.
Sayajirao’s legacy was not built on grand monuments alone. Under his rule, Baroda became known for its schools, libraries and reforms, making it one of the most talked-about princely states of its era.
More than eight decades after his death, his influence can still be traced in the institutions he built and the people he helped shape. Few rulers can claim to have changed the course of Indian history without fighting a war. Sayajirao Gaekwad III was one of them.
More than 85 years after his death, many of his ideas still feel ahead of their time.
While many princes of the time were remembered for their wealth and royal lifestyles, Sayajirao chose a different path. He spent heavily on schools, libraries and public welfare, leaving behind a legacy that extended far beyond Baroda. His support for a young B.R. Ambedkar would also have a lasting impact on India’s future.
History remembers many kings for the wars they won. Sayajirao Gaekwad is remembered for the futures he built.
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